~ Adventures with the Peace Corps

What happened to school?

Ukraine continued its tradition of endless holidays these past two weeks. I am not exaggerating when I say, I almost expect my schedule to be completely altered when I arrive at school every morning. May is the climax of school holidays, and it is really effecting my motivation to prepare for lessons. Here are a few highlights…

Labor Day – May 2 – We did not have school this day, nor the two days before. Traditionally, the townspeople go to theie country houses to prepare the fields, plant potatoes and have picnics. I tried to offer my help, but was turned down by at least thee people saying that I wouldn’t be able to walk for a week after. I went to Kharkov for the weekend and experienced the worst bus ride of my life…80 degrees, no windows, 7 hours, long pants, with people sitting in the aisle the whole way.

Last Bell – May 3 – Literally, the last class bell for the graduating 11th formers. The entire primary and secondary schools gathered outside in their black & white school uniforms to congratulate the “school leavers” (as Ukrainians like to translate, graduates). They sang songs, danced, and presented flowers to teachers.

11th formers in their school uniform

Holupsti Day – May 5 – A personal holiday that commemorates the first time I made the amazingly delicious Holupsti traditional dish without tragedy! Simply mix a kg of farsh (ground meat), spices and vegtables. Boil a head of cabbage, remove the leaves, whole, one by one. Then roll the meat & vegetables in the cabbage leaves. Stick all the rolls into a pot, cover in tomato sauce and let simmer for an hour. Eat with sour cream and enjoy my new favorite food.

Victory Day – May 9 – A time to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and more specifically to remember the Vetrans of the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

A few of the Vetrans from Romny.

Click HERE to see some amazing photos of Victory Day celebrations throughout the post-Soviet states from Boston.com’s ‘The Big Picture‘.

My 6th form students holding photos of fallen vetrans.

Some of my fellow teachers and a strange camera man enjoying the Victory day parade.

Ballon release with adorable children and adorable veterans!

11th Form Graduation – May 12 – It started at 6pm with the graduates and teachers from all 13 schools in Romny parading down main street to the center square. The graduates wore suits and long gowns, the equivalent of US prom. The streets were lined with hundreds of people who gathered to watch the Mayor’s speech and award ceremony. At 9pm the schools walked back to their buildings to watch a special concert prepared by the 11th formers for their parents and teachers. Diplomas were presented at the end and our Director said a few words about each student. At 12 midnight, the students gathered at the local club, which our school had rented out for the night, to drink, dance and ‘make’ photos. The students stayed awake until sunrise…

Some beautiful fellow teachers and two beautiful 11th form graduates.

One of my favorite 11th formers and I. Congratulations Vika!

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8 thoughts on “What happened to school?”

Dear Katherine,
I was so glad to read your post – I hadn’t seen one in a while. You look wonderful, and you fit right in with the Ukranians. I remember years ago when I was young, during the “Cold War”, a comentator remarking that it was too bad that the USA and the USSR (Russia) were enemies, because in so many ways we had a lot in common with each other, especially compared to the rest of the world. That was an astonishing thought for my young mind. (… The Russians!!??) Looking at the photos, I could certainly see a commonality in general looks.
Thank you for including the photos. The photos give us suck a good feel of the people and events that you are reporting. I LOVE the faces of all the people – young students, and older citizens. It’s interesting that the veterans of WWII are still recognized and honored by so much of the public. That has ceased, or at least really dwindled, here in the USA.
Question: What lies ahead for the “graduates” or “school leavers”? University?? Jobs?? Uncertainty??

I’m so happy you enjoyed the photos. You are very right, at least your family and mine look so similar to the people here in Ukraine. There have been many times when I’ve been mistaken for a Ukrainian (putting aside my sometimes funny clothes and inevitable accent/language problems).

I really wish we honored our elders as much as they do here. Its very refreshing to see how much interaction the young and old have together and how close families stay. I think my WASP of a generation has definitely lost touch with that lifestyle.

In regards to the school leavers, they have all finished 11 forms of school which means that they are most likely going to University. The students who don’t want to go to University, leave secondary school after the 9th form and find jobs or attend a technical school. Its really amazing to me that they delve into the real world so young, but people here seem to mature faster than what I’m used to in general. The school system is perhaps one of the most difficult cultual changes I’ve had to confront. Everything from graduation year, system of marks and exams, to late policies and teacher/student interactions.

Katherine,
I clicked on “Post” without ending my comments or saying good-bye. Sorry. I’ll just say thank you again for your posts. I look forward to the next one. Take care. And send us your recipe for “stuffed Cabbage”. I’d like to compare it to the recipe I used to make. Fondly, Marty

Ukrainian National Anthem

Ukraine is not yet dead, nor its glory and freedom,
Luck will still smile on us brother-Ukrainians.
Our enemies will die, as the dew does in the sunshine,
and we, too, brothers, we'll live happily in our land.
We'll not spare either our souls or bodies to get freedom
and we'll prove that we brothers are of Kozak kin.
We'll rise up, brothers, all of us, from the Sain to the Don,
We won't let anyone govern in out motherland.
The Black Sea will smile yet, grandfather Dnipro will rejoice,
Yet in our Ukraine luck will be high.
Our persistence, our sincere toil will prove its rightness,
still our freedom's loud song will spread throughout Ukraine.
It'll reflect upon the Carpathians, will sound through the steppes,
and Ukraine's glory will arise among the people.